Salary Calculator

How to Use the Salary Calculator

Enter your pay rate in any common unit (hourly, weekly, biweekly, monthly, annual) and the calculator shows all the other equivalents instantly. Set the hours-per-week (default 40 for full-time) and weeks-per-year (default 52 for full-time year-round). Useful for comparing job offers, negotiating raises, and budgeting from any quoted pay structure.

The Gross-to-Net Reality

Your $80,000 salary doesn't put $80,000 in your bank. After federal income tax (~12% effective for that bracket), Social Security and Medicare (7.65%), state income tax (0–13% depending on state), and pre-tax 401k contribution (typical 5–15%), take-home is usually 65–75% of gross. In high-tax states like California or New York, take-home can drop to 60%. In no-income-tax states (Texas, Florida, Washington), it's closer to 75–80%.

Comparing Job Offers Beyond Salary

A $90,000 offer with no benefits is worse than an $80,000 offer with full benefits. Quantify the total package: Health insurance: $5,000–$15,000/year value (employer-paid premiums). 401k match: 3–6% of salary is common — $2,400–$5,400 free money on a $90K salary. Paid leave: 15 days vacation + 10 holidays = ~10% of work-year value. Bonus eligibility: 5–25% target bonuses can shift the comparison entirely. Equity: Stock grants at startups vest over 4 years and can multiply or evaporate.

How to Negotiate from a Salary Number

Three rules: (1) Never share your current salary when an employer asks — answer with market rate research. (2) Counter-offer the first number by 10–20%; companies typically have 10–15% flexibility in their initial offer. (3) Negotiate the total package: signing bonus (one-time), equity (long-term upside), title (next-job leverage), start date (vacation accrual). A 10% bump on $100K is $10,000/year — every year — for the rest of your career as that base compounds.

Hourly Worker Strategies

Track every hour. Hourly workers leave thousands on the table each year by miscounting overtime, off-the-clock work, or unpaid prep time. Federal law (FLSA) protects 1.5x overtime above 40 hours per week — if your employer pressures you to work without recording the time, document it and report. State laws often add daily overtime, double-time after 12 hours, meal break premiums, and split-shift differential. Use our savings goal planner to convert every overtime hour into progress toward a real financial goal — it makes the extra effort meaningful.